Modi'in
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Template:Infobox Israel municipality
Modi'in (Template:Lang-he-n) is a city in the Center District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) in 2005 the city had a total population of 68,000. In December 2003, Modi'in was united with the nearby municipality of Maccabim-Re'ut (now called Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut). Modi'in, Modi'in Illit, Hashmonaim and Matityahu (moshav) are all part of an area known as the Modi'in Valley, with a metropolitan area population of over 150,000.
Demographics
According to CBS, as of 2001 the ethnic makeup of the city was all Jewish, with 15,300 males and 15,700 females. The population distribution of the city was 43.8% 19 years of age or younger, 12.5% between 20 and 29, 31.9% between 30 and 44, 8.0% from 45 to 59, 1.4% from 60 to 64, and 2.3% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was 13.5%. By 2006, the population had grown to over 65,000.[1]
Past and present
Ancient Modi'in was the place of origin of the Jewish Hasmonean dynasty that ruled Judea in the first and second centuries BCE, and it is where the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Greeks started.
Modern Modi'in is located near the location of the ancient Modi'in described in the Talmud, though the specific location is uncertain. For centuries the preferred location was Suba, far from what the Talmud indicates, but this is no longer tenable. Possibilities suggested by modern archaeologists include: Umm el-'Umdan near Route 20 to Canada Park and Latrun, Khirbet el-Midye, and Khirbet el-Burj (Titura).[1][2][3] All these locations are close to the present built-up area of modern Modi'in, and some of them have been damaged by the building of the present-day city.
The cornerstone for present-day Modi'in was laid in 1993. It is a modern planned city, and the highest standards of urban planning, environmental concern and planning for future growth were taken into consideration during its design. Large greenspaces were incorporated into the city's layout and comprise 50% of the area within the city limits. The long term projection of the ministry of housing is for the city to be home to about a quarter million residents, thus becoming one of the largest localities in Israel. However, plans approved for the city thus far are for only 120,000 residents.
The city was planned by the well-known architect Moshe Safdie. Its design was supervised by the Ministry of Building and Housing's main architect Carlos Drinberg and the City Engineer-Architect Daniel Senerman.
An Israel Railways rail line has been completed to the city, and as of April 2008 is in operation to a large underground station in Modi'in. Service began in September 2007 to the nearby commercial zone of Paatei Modi'in. This railway connects Modi'in directly to Tel Aviv by way of Ben Gurion Airport. The city is currently the southernmost stop on a major rail line whose other terminus is in Nahariya. In addition, a high speed rail line is planned that will connect Modi'in to Jerusalem, beginning around 2011.
Geography
Modi'in is located about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Jerusalem, and is connected to the two via Highway 443. Its physical geography reflects this: Climate, landforms, flora and fauna all reflect this position midway between the two cities.
The city is decentralised. It is divided in a star-shape into smaller neighbourhoods named after the original town planners. Each of these neighbourhoods has a main boulevard and shopping centre.
Income
According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 11,662 salaried workers and 813 self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 8,432, a real change of 13.0% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 11,480 (a real change of 10.8%) versus ILS 5,534 for females (a real change of 10.9%). The mean income for the self-employed is 7,634. There are 536 people who receive unemployment benefits and 274 people who receive an income guarantee.
Education
According to CBS, there are 12 schools and 5,325 students in the city. They are spread out as 8 elementary schools with 3,374 students, and 2 high schools with 1,951 students. 63.5% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001.
Sports
In 2007, Modi'in was selected as one of the inaugural cities for the Israel Baseball League. The team was named the Modi'in Miracle but doesn't play games in Modi'in since there is no baseball stadium.
Twin Town
References
- ^ Shimon Gibson, ASOR Newsletter 49-1 (1999) pp. 16-17
- ^ Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah, ASOR conference 2003
- ^ Joshua Schwartz, Lod (Lydda), Israel: from its origins through the Byzantine period, 5600 B.C.E. - 640 C.E, Oxford University Press, 1991, pp. 61-63.
External links
